16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
'When Prince William had the Pegasus,' said
Jack, 'a single stroke utterly destroyed her
mainmast.'
General considerations on lightning followed
this – most frequent between the tropics – certain
trees more liable to be struck than others:
willows, ash, solitary oaks to be avoided – sultry,
oppressive weather favourable – tolerably
common in the temperate zone – unknown in
Finland, Iceland and Hudson's Bay – presumably
even more unknown nearer to either
pole, probably because of the northern lights.
But these remarks together with speculation on
the nature of the electric fluid were interrupted
by the appearance of a roast sucking-pig,
borne in on a splendid Peruvian silver dish,
the rescued merchants' present to the Surprise,
and set down according to custom before Dr
Maturin, whose skill as a carver was intimately
known to many of those present. The talk grew